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Relevance In The Computer Age

With computers dominating the world nowadays, one may think that the humble SAK, and us dinosaurs that use them, may be obsolete. I beg to differ, and here's the proof.

My faithful laptop, which is now about 4 years old, and has traveled with me to Las Vegas and back twice, Orlando, Portland, Ontario (several times), Chicago (by accident!) and many other places less exotic was starting to have issues- most specifically, the keys were starting to stick, and a few just didn't work at all. Some folks would use it as an excuse to buy a new computer, others would take it to a professional to see if there was anything that could be done. Not me- I went online, found a reputable parts dealer and ordered a new keyboard.

When it arrived, I had a bit of a challenge- can I replace a keyboard with nothing but a SAK? I'd recently replaced the keyboard on my netbook with a Leatherman Squirt PS4 while sitting in my Jeep, so I figured the more complex laptop keyboard should be manageable.

What was my weapon of choice for this challenge? My Wenger S557 was my first choice since it fits my hand well and more importantly, has all the tools I could conceivably need- flathead screwdriver to use as a small prybar, phillips screwdriver for any screws I may encounter and pliers in case a screw falls into a crevice my fingers can't reach, which is always a likely occurrence. And, a few extra tools just in case I encounter the unexpected.

Here's how it happened, start to finish:

Step One- Opening the box with the main blade

Step Two- Pry off the cover between the keyboard and the screen with the bottle opener.

Step Three- Use the phillips driver to undo two screws at the top of the keyboard

Step Four- Back to the bottle opener to help pry the old keyboard from the little tabs that hold it in.

Step Five- Use the flathead again to release the small ribbon cable connector that transmits every button push and keystroke into the computer.

Step Six- Reverse the steps, putting the ribbon cable from the new keyboard into the connector and lock it in. Then lever the new keyboard into place, and lock in, replace the screws, then replace the cover and you are done. Then, flip it on and make sure you get no errors!

In short, it doesn't matter how many things in our lives get computerized, the reality is that the do-it-yourselfer will always have a place.